Mtsvaneqvavila is a neighborhood in Kutaisi, located on an elevated plateau on the left bank of the Rioni River. In the Middle Ages, it was a suburban village and only became part of the city in the nineteenth century.
Chapel of the Archangels in Mtsvaneqvavila
The central area of the neighborhood is occupied by a cemetery and buildings from various periods, arranged on two levels—upper and lower. The oldest structure is a small single-nave chapel situated in the upper part of the site, perched on the edge of the plateau and overlooking the former Jewish quarter of Kutaisi. The chapel is built on a cliff ledge, extended by a specially constructed high substructure. According to an inscription carved on the tympanum stone of the door (now preserved in the Kutaisi Historical Museum), the chapel was dedicated to the Archangels and was likely built in 1113.
Ruined chapel and the Church of the Archangels as in 2014
The chapel survived in a deteriorated state until its complete restoration in 2017. Only the projecting semicircular apse and lower portions of the walls remained intact before restoration. Today, large hewn stones from the original masonry are distinguishable among the new facing.
Chapel and the Church of the Archangels as in 2024
Approximately 30 meters east of this chapel stands the Church of the Archangels built between 1909 and 1913. It is a cross-shaped structure with a spacious central bay, crowned by a dome resting on an octagonal drum. A tall Russian-style bell tower rises above the elongated western cross-arm. The church’s exterior design primarily features elements of Neo-Classical architecture.
Dome of the Church of the Archangels
In the late 1630s, Metropolitan Bishop of Gelati Zakaria Kvariani established his residence in the lower part of Mtsvaneqvavila. A rectangular dwelling tower with unusually thick walls, a single small door, and gun slots instead of windows reflects the unsafe times of its construction.
Dwelling tower in the lower part of Mtsvaneqvavila
A small single-nave church dating to the same period is located to the east of the tower. Its plain façades are clad in smoothly hewn limestone blocks. An arched porch was added to the western façade of the church in 1860.
Church in the lower part of Mtsvaneqvavila
The cemetery in Mtsvaneqvavila dates back to the Middle Ages. In 1956, a pantheon was established in the lower part of the site. This pantheon serves as the final resting place for many prominent individuals associated with Kutaisi, including the composer Meliton Balanchivadze, the writer and critique Kirile Lortkipanidze, the educationist Ioseb Otskheli, the documentary filmmaker Vasil Amashukeli, and others.
